In the automotive air conditioning aftermarket business, most air conditioning systems are presently custom built for each particular make and model of automobile. The systems include a custom built condenser and custom built brackets for supporting the condenser in the engine well. The tubes which carry the refrigerant to and from the condenser are presently manufactured and attached in the specific length and shape necessary to assemble the custom built air conditioning system. Because each make and model of automobile requires a different specifically designed and shaped air conditioning assembly, automotive air conditioning suppliers in the aftermarket are forced to maintain, at significant cost, extensive inventories of custom built condensers, mounting brackets and tube assemblies.
The tube assembly carrying a refrigerant in an air conditioning system must be securely fastened to the condenser or heat exchanger for proper operation. It is desirable that any connector should reduce tube assembly costs and allow for a flexible installation.
In a conventional installation, the conventional tube assembly is usually secured to the condenser by a nut type fastener or through the use of a pad or block which is secured by means of a bolt. The problem with using a nut type fastener or a bolted block is controlling the tightening of the nut and the positioning of the tube during installation. If the nut or bolt is over-torqued, there is a risk that the condenser may be damaged through distortion. If the nut or bolt is under-torqued, there is a risk of refrigerant loss with the associated environmental concerns or of incorrectly positioning the tube leading to a possible fracture of the tube.
To alleviate these problems, several components of a vehicle air conditioning system are described in co-pending applications titled: "UNIVERSAL CONDENSER FOR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM", application Ser. No. 08/036,395, filed Mar. 24, 1993, and application Ser. No. 08/371,398, filed Jan. 11, 1995; and co-pending application titled "UNIVERSAL MOUNTING BRACKET," application Ser. No. 08/479,618, filed Jun. 7, 1995; in addition to U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,460 titled "TUBE FASTENER." The present invention may be used in conjunction with the aforementioned universal condenser and universal mounting bracket such that the characteristics of a custom built system will be duplicated.